Railroad-switch



`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. S. MILLER, OF REPUBLIC, OHIO.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent No.18,689, dated January 27', 1852.

T all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, A. S. MILLER, of

` Republic, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented anew and Improved- Mode of Constructing Railroad-Switches; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact description oftheconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, makingpart of this specification.

Like letters refer to like parts represented in the different views.

To'enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construct-ion and operation. p

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the switch and c'ar, when in place;`the other views will be referred 'to as they may be required in afurther description.

The rails are laid in the usual manner, and I then apply thereto at anypoint of turn out, my self acting switch, a general outline of which isshown `at A, Fig. l. Theswitch is worked by theshifter B, Figs. 1 and 2,which is secured to the car or locomotive as may be desirable, in such amanner that the shifter B can be turned from the brace C to D so as toact on the levers E or F shifting` the train to the right or left trackas the case may be without any delay to the train; which is a greatadvantage over the common mode of operating the switch.

The shifter B being connected in a solid manner to the wheel G by thestandard B may be operated by a chain or cord, passing around the wheelG and extending to the rear cars so as to be operated at any time or atany point, by the conductor, engineer, or brakemen. a

hen the train is on the track I I Fig. l, the shifter in passingoperates the lever E which by its connection with the rails L and K Fig.l, is caused to move simultaneously; the rail K is moved close to therail I, the rail L moving with it from the rail I which `allows thetrain to pass along the track ner as t-he lever E, moving the rail L,from the track I, and with the same action the rail K, is put in linewith the track I. thereby allowing the train to pass over the line I I.A reverse motion is given to the lever P, by the return train on thetrack N N, which is communicated to the switch rails L and K, therebymaking a quick connection from the track N, N, to I, I.

The switch rails L, and K, are retained in place by the tumbler Fig. 4C,Fig. 5 being an end View. The tumbler or key, is placed in a chamberunder the switch rails, at Q Fig. l; as the rails L and K, are movedfrom one side to the other the tumblers are caused to turn on theiraxis, which throws up one of their arms on the inside and one on theoutside of the rails, thereby keying them on either side. The tumblersalso ease the movement of the switch rails, Vby being placed directlyover the center of its axis; the Vrails drop a little when past thecenter, so as to be keyed by the arms.

i The lever E, is connected to the cross lever R by means of theconnecting rod S, S. The levers F, O, and P are in like manner connectedto the cross lever B. By the action of the shifter B, on the lever E, amovement is conveyed to the cross lever R, which acting upon the staybar T, Figs. l and 3, moves lever B, by means of rods in the same manneras above described in letter E. The connecting rod from the. lever O, isattached to the cross lever R at V and the rod from the lever P isattached to the cross lever at IV. The action of the levers P and O, inmoving the switch rails being the same as that of the levers E and F.

The shifter B is made of wrought iron of suitable size, and is made inthe form of a plane key, as seen in Figs. l and 2 at B, B, with a shankof suitable strength, with a wheel Gr, Fig. 2, on the top, for thepurpose of attaching a chain or cord to work it. When the operatordesires to change the switch, he turns this key or shifter from right toleft or from left to right as necessity may require, by means of thewheel and cord or chain as above stated. The pressure of the shifter onthe lever O, when passing over it causes the switch rails L, and K, tomove, whereby the connection is broken at L, and connected at K, whichforms a connected line from I to M and from I to I A reverse is causedby pressing the lever P, when the previous connection is broken and oneformed between I, and N, and I, and N.

A detached view of the lever and frame is shown at Fig. 6. The metallicframe is firmly secured to the wood work supporting the rails. The crosslever R, is secured in place by means of a bolt which passes through itscenter into theA girt below. The levers operating the switch rails canbe worked by hand when desirable, the result being the same as whenworked by the shifter.

It will be seen from the preceding` description that the rods connectingthe several levers, cross each other near the center of the track, thuscausing a combined transverse action of the several levers and rods tofall rails, as seen in Fig. l, thus causing them to move with ease andprecision upon the tumbler lock, which holds them firm against the mainrails until again operated upon as above. It will also be perceived bycareful examination that this action of the several levers, (upon theswitch rails) cannot be obtained in so simple a `form, as the onedescribed above, without crossing the rods connecting them.

I am aware that levers, rods, and eccenitrics, are used for the purposeof changing Placing the tumbler Figs. 4 and 5, under the rails L and Kin such a manner as to ease their movement, and when at rest oper* atingas a brace or key to'retain the rails in place.

ABRAHAM s. MILLER.

Witnesses:

B. F. BAKER, E. I-IEssENMUELLER. Q

